Shine Lookout - Washington Lookouts

The Port Townsend Leader reported on May 5, 1949 that a new fire lookout station was built. “The new state forest service lookout station is off to a good start. Bulldozing and blasting stumps at the site, hope to have it in operation in July. … above Shine on Twin Lake Road.” Images show it was a 35 foot wooden platform and a house. It was administered by Washington Division of Forestry/DNR and removed or destroyed in 1958. In a Port Townsend newspaper on August 2, 1962 page 7 titled “Eleven Lookouts Watch for Fires in Jefferson County”, they reported the Skidder Hill lookout was a live-in tower erected in 1957 when the old Shine Lookout was dismantled. The area since has had one rotation of trees grow and harvested, disturbing the spot. Today the young stand at the lookout location blocks most of the views. The highest point seems to have a flat open area that was compacted down and isn't growing anything, so the likely spot, although nothing was found. One could also poke around in the forest on top looking for something but I came up empty.

Summit Elevation: 508 feet
Distance: 2 miles
Elevation Gain: 240 feet
Road Access: Paved

After crossing the Hood Canal Bridge, continue on Highway 104 several miles to a left turn on South Point Road. In a few miles is a right turn on Thorndyke Road. Follow this road to the gated dirt road on the right (see map).

Right after the gate is a Y, take the left. Follow this road for a mile or so avoiding many side roads. Pay attention to each curve shown on the map or use a GPS if needed, this area is flat and difficult to orient. The right turn will be after a mile or so, heading NE and quickly entering into a recent harvested area. Follow the main road, there are many off shoots. An aerial photo helped me here. Soon the Shine uplift was the only thing higher. At the base, the road heads back into a young stand of trees. Look for an old skid road on the edge of the forest headed straight uphill to the top of the Shine uplift.

View of Olympics from the gate

Gate off the Thorndyke Road (Olympic Resource Management)

Leave the road here and follow faint skid road up tree-line

From the top looking down the skid trail between harvest line

Flat area at the summit clear of trees

Views of the Olympic Mountains on the way up

On the horizon is the Shine Lookout hill

Views to the southwest from the summit (for now).

The Lookout Inventory reports this location was first an Aircraft Warning Station cabin built in 1942. The AWS sites managed by the Army do not list Shine but it could have been a civilian or Coast Guard AWS site.